Amy loves snow when it means having „schneefrei“, getting Christmas cards, the words “setzen, stellen, legen”, and non-snailish snail threadsJools loves knives in hens (or was it “hence”?) and helmetsWachtelkönig neither loves being one 8th of a king, nor parking lot ploughing, nor UPS, FedEx, heimatlosigkeit, his landscapeless surroundings, horror movies, the secret Freeze Illinois Project, … but he just loooves the word “preposterous”Wi-chan loves dry cakeMousy loves snow as long as it´s not stickingSD3 loves snow in her garden as long as this means having “schneefrei”, the pronunciation of Ruhpolding, and “schrumpfgepackte” :-D VWsNeedless to say that snowflake always loves snow Me1 loves croci, Berliners and insurance companiesZora loves snowmen and PhD comicsWolfman loves the Ruhr and the German pronunciation of “Vancouver”Steve53 loves a white Christmas and bird seed (bird feed? birdseed?)Suziq loves the pronunciation of Prague (like vague, right?), zebra hats, commas, and February 17th (or was it March? Or November?)Manni loves Ms Palin´s legsWhile bluesky loves her shoes and the pronunciation of BayreuthHm-us loves news about snow, Toyota, Christmas presents in February, Christoph Waltz, and models but no Christmas cards (Brecht is also not quite her cup of tea)Goldammer loves the word “rather” (just like candice), Faschingskiachle, the pronunciation of Neckarsulm, and her helmet (so much that she even wears it sitting at her computer)Candice also loves helmets (but does not always wear one)Estrellita does not love helmets but “neon-yellow strap things”Wupper loves models? Or Sarah Palin? Or was it Sarah Palin as model? And hippies? (or is he too young for that?) He does not love the measles (not even if it means having “masernfrei”)Even wrdlbrmfd feels strongly about the measles and the WHOSelima loves walking barefoot and FaschingskiachleKubik loves “bots of warmth” – whatever that is but it sounds good when you are coldEmily Chambers loves Germany againHh loves to ignore red traffic lightsWelcome to the new snails Nicki (who loves Pune) and mukivista (who loves learning English and playing the piano)

#261 > then the next morning she woke up in her bed ... and was wondering why her pillow and hair [is] was all blood-stained ... I remembered lots of stories I (had) heard [from] of/about people[,] who had ... I now [persistingly] (persistently) demand/insist [of] that all my loved ones [to] wear helmets#262 > manni [refers] is/was referring to the German proverb #263 > since I [am] have been in America I wear one almost [always] all the time / almost always wear one#271 > Seems [I'd need] I might need / could use / Maybe I need a special helmet that prevents leerhirnigness (vgl. I would need one if I ...)#274 > I had indeed thought of phrasing my comment [in a way] so that it referred to men only / in a way that referred ...#275 > whenever you go riding your bike as a [free time] (besser:) leisure activity#276 > I leave my helmet [at] on/with the bike when shopping#278 > if someone cares to steal it, not much is "he". (? he's not much of a person? it's not a big deal?) So far, it's never [got] been / AE gotten stolen#279 > one of these ugly, dull typical bike helmets ... one of these bright yellow reflecting vests ... one of these horns that football fans use ('these' ist wohl nicht falsch aber in allen 3 Sätzen würde ich eigentlich 'those' nehmen) ... To raise awareness [for] of the dangers #283 > my parents did buy helmets for my brother and me, but we hardly wore [it] them ... I see quite [many] a few / a lot of people wearing vests #284 > I didn't [felt] feel any pain ... your brain sets an enormous amount of painkillers free (besser:) releases ... I never learned about [this] (besser:) that before. ([Even not] Not even in the course necessary for a driving license ... I was just happy that I knew [I've] I had been to hospital and everything [has] had been checked#285 > One, the way [how] / how / the way that drivers ignore cyclists#288 > and without a helmet, although he has agreed that we will go and get him one tomorrow ... if I [wouldn't] didn't ride towards the oncoming traffic #291 > Here there are even some intersections ... And if you are [happy] lucky enough that ... #293 > [sportive] cyclists who ride for sport BE / as a sport AE / racing cyclists (?) ... [drive] ride (a bicycle)#294 > No time [as well] either

Yes, helmets not only look a little ridiculous (unless you're on a racing bike), they are also pretty inconvenient, especially in summer. I wouldn't have wanted a helmet crossing France, Spain and Portugal in summer (at most perhaps descending mountain passes). I would strongly oppose a helmet law for adult cyclists. Rather they could introduce mandatory training for car drivers how to respect non-motorized traffic. But in this respect I don't have much to complain. The percentage of reckless car drivers is much higher in Germany.

As for automated traffic lights:I know two intersections at the same busy street, where there are no traffic lights for pedestrians. And at other intersections I find it humiliating to manoeuver to the post to push the pedestrian button.

hm-us - Wow, you have really put a lot of time into all these corrections. Thank you. I need to explain Goldammer´s #278 —> if someone cares to steal it, not much is "he". though. In our Bavarian / Swabian dialect "hie" (pronounced just like "he") means "kaputt".

And thanks for mentioning this PBS frontline documentary. I just checked; "Digital Nation" is still online - as well as a whole lot of other documentaries. I will put the link here, because I think this is just such a great and extremely valuable site. I once did "The Merchants of Cool" with my students, and there is so much helpful material (even a "teacher´s guide") there; it is incredible. They have so many great documentaries there on all kinds of issues - just amazing.

Well, on the one hand, it is sometimes possible to work on one topic for a longer time (like four or five consecutive lessons); on the other hand, it is also possible to design a worksheet / web quest and have the students work on that as a homework or as a long-term project. Or it would also be possible to assign various tasks to various groups of students and have them present their results, or ... Oooooops, sorry, I´m being carried away by my enthusiasm, I´m afraid.

Well, using "he" in the Swabian meaning wasn't exactly fair in a crossover chat, was it? I have to apologize.I just couldn't think of a way to put it at that moment, and since it was addressed to candice, anyway...

These Frontline pages look good. I'll have to have a closer look soon, I think I can use them for my tutoring, too. Thanks for the link, candice!

edit: at second look, I'm not so sure any more. They are all 60 minutes, that's clearly above what I need. I'll mark them as favorites all the same, because it is such an interesting collection of topics.

Well, I know a few traffic lights (in England) which are triggered by a cyclist. The sensor is directly under the bicycle lane and the signal changes that fast, that you do not have to stop. There are two or three meters from the sensor to the traffic light and if I reduced speed these meters gave me enough time to arrive at the traffic light when it was already green. Great system!

hm-us - what a pity that your new word "Verheimnis" does not exist - it´s a nice one. ;-)AFAIK there hasn´t been a good translation for carbon footprint yet (as bluesky already stated), but I think I might have read "CO2-Bilanz" or "ökologischer Fußabdruck" occasionally.Some time ago you wrote something about "Residenzhallen". I was confused at first because there is no such word in German, but I think you meant "Studentenwohnheime".

You see, it exists in German as a plural-only noun. IMO, it is not only used for "Hosenträger", but generally for a set of straps in different contexts. But you are of course right all the same; originally, it is a double-mouble plural.

edityeah, manni found a good example for a different use of "Strapse"!

@SD3: Especially with foreign words or abbreviations a double-plural is quiten often - though not correct nor well-accepted if you know the origin:e.g. Spaghettis (Spaghetti already is plural), same with LKW, PKW, ... - with "Strapse" I only think of what manni3 suggested. If used for "Strippen, Bändchen" I guess I'd flinch.

@WachtelkönigSo this will make departure really nice for you, won't it? If it was lovely weather now, spring in the air, cute striped ground sqirrels all over the place, you might regret that you have to leave!

I guess the thirteen-line ground squirrels never returned from their hibernation trip to Mexico. Last year I did not see a single one. And Ziesel ist correct (Dreizehnstreifenziesel). Here it would be heimlich, without any prefixes.

Jools sorry to hear about your friend's friend having been in a critical bike accident.

I remember more than 10 years ago when the bike helmut law was in my state was passed for kids under 16. There was an neurologist interviewed about why helmuts are important. He said that it is just for the forward speed. He said that a child sitting on a bike has about 3 or more foot distance their head has to travel to the ground. Due to the acceleration of gravity the speed in only that distance is pretty great when the head hits the ground. Falling sideways from a stand still there is great enough acceleration to cause a brain trauma and even a critical life altering brain injury and even death. An adult sitting on a bike is in a position with their head even further from the ground. For this fact alone you should always wear a helmut even if you are not going super fast in a forward motion.

I also remember from college seeing the six to seven inch crack in one of my dorms bike helmuts from a fall one fellow student took while wearing a helmut.

I believe in my state that the first time you are seen without a helmut you might just get a warning, but I think technically the violation should result in a $50 fine or something. I do not know if the fines increase with repeated violations.

Here is a link about states that have helmut laws. It says there is no national bike helmut law, but various states, cities and counties have enacted their own laws to varying degrees. Some require all cyclists to wear one, others just require it for children.

At the bottom are some statistics about bike deaths with and without helmuts. The one thing these statistics do not say is what percentage of cyclist wear helmuts. Their definitely are fewer deaths of riders wearing helmuts but not sure how that percentage corresponds with total number of bicyclists who wear helmuts versus non-helmut riders.

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The fabulous new ESL Classroom Edition for Spanish Speakers contains: four videos (famous MUZZY Stories and Vocabulary Builder Video Program), two audiocassettes, and CD ROM... PLUS these important additions: Presents all the material found on the videos, audio cassettes and CD ROM Teaching tips for the most successful methods of teaching with MUZZY Big Book of 70 reproducible Activity Masters.

Thanks, me1.Do you think that can be used at home as well? Don't really need a "Big, Comprehensive Teachers' Guide", which is probably in English as well. Did you order from that website, and does it come within the same week? But who still uses audio cassettes?(Well, that reminds me that I do have a little hi-fi machine which also can play cassettes, and plenty of cassettes, but far away on the other side of the pond.)

Not to mention records. I also own a couple of records, which I had recorded on cassettes, since I never owned a record player (only my parents do). Old Pink Floyd stuff I haven't listened to in ages ...

My friend's friend was released from hospital on friday. She's now at home but still can't remember a thing. She only said that, when she came home, she saw that her bike and the floor of her flat and especially her bedsheets were full of blood. Creepy.However, from the type of injuries she has, it is assumed now that she must have been hit by a car. So we all hope now that CCTV has recorded something. All these innumerable cameras every 5 metres must be good for sth.

As for the "but I look so stupid with a helmet"-sayers. I spent all Saturday looking for helmets and yes, I agree. Most are insanely ugly and make you look very silly. But, there are bike helmets (non BMX-ones) out there, which are really nice. I particularly liked Abus Lane U and Abus Urban I. (am I allowed to say that here?) They are very smartly designed, don't look alienesque and also come in matt (?) - not shiny. You just need to look around a bit. But that means overcoming the lame lazy excuse in the first place ;)

To change and continue with the most recent topic:I MISS my record and CD collection. When I moved to England I had to leave it behind at my parents house, because it would have taken months to convert it all into MP3s, not to mention it would be impossible to decide which ones to put on my (old and tiny) iPod and take with me.Just this weekend I sat at home and wanted to listen to sth particular and I couldn't believe I did not take it with me when I moved. How could I not bring my favourite album of 1997? *haha* Every time I go home to visit my parents I bring a few CDs over with me, but still have to leave the records behind, because I don't have a record player here. And the one I have at my parents is so precious and expensive, it wouldn't survive such a move.

I still have mix-tapes friends mae for me. But I don't have a tape player any more. And I doubt the cassettes would still play... but I would never throw them away. They are most precious gifts. ;)*feels a bit Nick-Hornby-nerdy now*

I agree with you about the look of bike helmets. They look like bike helmets, so what? I don't care about my looks a lot when I am on my bike, I should add maybe. For me, wearing a helmet is much more a question of practical necessity than of fashionable appearance. I can reassure you, btw, that I never wore and never will wear lycra bike trousers.

I have a record collection, too, with Pink Floyd, Stones, Ekseption, Joni Mitchell, Simon & Garfunkel and others (this will allow you some rather exact guesses about my age, won't it?), also a lot of classical music, and I have a record player, too. But when I needed space in our living room to put up a desk for my work, I thought about how seldom I used it and stored it away in the basement for the time being.

@Amy and Goldammer: Unfortunately the girl does not remember when exactly she went home or which way exactly she took home.And although she was released for the time being she still needs to be taken care of, so her mum came down and also, she needs to go back to the hospital this week to have surgery on her broken shoulder.

The album I was talking about is "Blur" from Blur.And I might have to explain... Last week I watched the new documentary about last year's reunion of the band after they didn't speak to each other for over 9 years. This film triggered so many lovely memories - also of me being a silly little teenager and falling madly in love with the band the first time I saw them on "Most Wanted", a show on MTV Europe (when it was still awesome) hosted by the legendary Ray Cokes. *sigh*(now you can guess my age ;) )

I still like this album and think it's their best, because the most grown-up and aggressive and least poppy (I actually really hate pop). So yes... when it came to the big battle-of-the-britpop-bands in the 90s, I was on Blur's side - and I still can't stand the stupid Gallagher brothers from Oasis *Ugh!*(and I also went to the same school where Blur met and formed the band *chuckling like a little girl again*)

Hi there, for my part, I love to wear fleece .. mostly fleece shirts or jackets, but I own fleece pants as well and these things are just absolutely comfortable.*hiWachtelkönigIhopeyougotridofthewhitecrap*smile*

Hello *waveintheround*Unfortunatly I was very sick and so I can't further work on my english. And my nervs wasn't fine, so I thought, it's better I leave it for now.But now I'm fine and so I come back to the snailhouse and hope, here are also all fine. (hier geht es auch allen gut?)

Good morning. :)Welcome back Bommelchen. It's good to hear that you're back again.

@SD3 and manni:I also want *6-gear on* rain-free *6-gear off*.

The rain season has started here as well. The other day when it was raining nonstop for 24h, I received a funny picture from a friend, sitting in his office at his desk, trying to work while holding an umbrella with one hand, because apparently the roof in his office was leaking.

BUT! *drum roll*This morning, for the first time this year, I heard a bird sing! So I guess spring is about to arrive. *yay! doing a spring-dance*

Leave out anything your fellow students should know already. If they don't, they all should know where to find the library, how to use the textbook or ask the omniscient Google.(e.g. say: "based on/in contrast to last week's theory, I want to present X". not "We all learned last week that... (10minutes later, everyone asleep)... This is why I want to talk about X today.")

Leave out lenghty examples, unless they are really proving your case.Use only 1 example! Keep it short and to the point. Do not elaborate too much.Mention only the most important aspects of your example, always presenting why you chose this as example for your point. The example is there to substantiate your point, not a point of its own!

(I hate too many long examples, because they usually sidetrack my thoughts and in the end I am confused and don't know what the actual point was in the first place...)

Leave out too many repetitions. Saying things twice is more than enough. If people can't remember then, or haven't written it down by then, they are not listening in the first place. Ignore them. This is uni, not school. Everyone is responsible for their own learning.

Provide a hand-out so people can add their notes to your notes. That keeps them active while listening.Put only headlines on the hand out, so people will HAVE TO make notes and listen. (Explain to them that the hand-out is so short or has big gaps, so they can make notes... )The ones who use the hand-out as an excuse for not listening are not interested in the first place. Again, this is uni, not school....

@suzi: Hmm... not easy. I don't know much about the subject and terminology. I would probably briefly make a point and then elaborate it with a clear example. You can also put the terminology you use in your oral presentation on the hand-out and explain it there in detail instead. Similar to a vocabulary list...

Also, being able to present the most important aspects in the given time is part of the task. Teachers need to do that all the time, don't they? ;)

I remember one seminar in which too many students took part. Every single one was supposed to give a presentation. That meant a maximum of 8 minutes per person. The first few students didn't care and talked for hours and hours like they were used to, totally convinced that every single aspect was very important, or convinced that quantity equals quality, and of course they started arguing with the teacher, when she tried to cut the presentation so that other students had time for their presentations as well.It was a nightmare at first. But in the 3rd week the teacher brought an egg-timer and set it to 8 minutes and you had to stop when it rang. you were allowed to finish your sentence butthat was it. I liked this idea, because it really taught me to focus in my presentations.

There seems to be a rule that all of you are really busy when I don´t have time, and reduce your activities to the usual snailish speed whenever I have time to spare...

Es muss schlimm sein, die Folgen des Unfalls zu sehen, und immer noch nicht zu wissen, was passiert istWhat I find a bit depressing about that is that there apparently wasn´t anybody to clean up for her before she came home again. How sad.

... and no Lycra on my skin - I find it 'affig' !

manni!!!My "Fiedle" is much to sensitive to survive on a bike without one of these cycling pants, especially because of the "padded" area...

Candice @ padded area: Yes, that's good and important, with silver threads, my Fiedle appreciates it, too. But it's also available as shorts without legs and it works even under cotton leggings and also in double layer onion system ;-)) (And no! No hyphen between the four components of this noun! That's very English!)

And cotton leggings don't sizzle when removing and don't stick by static electricity - at the wall or at the tiles in the bathroom. I hate this! Electricity should remain in the power socket!

Now you precipitated me into deep dispair:Whom of you should I snub???suziq: on the wall / tilesßD3: to the wall / tiles

The best will be to avoid the situation and to throw away the shirts I bought from bluesky:100% Polyester - both real power plants and highly effective onto ("äätsch!" * ) walls and tiles stickers ;-))

@nyah nyah nyah... I know it in German as well. We used to sing it a lot when we were kindergarten-little, but more when we were mocking someone or played someone a trick which made him look like a fool. If I remember correctly, there was certain gesture that came with it. I hope I can describe it. You take your two index fingers, point at the mocked person with the left one and cross the right index finger over left so they form an X, and then move the right finger up towards the tip of the left finger. You repeat that movement roughly 4times, as long as the "nah nah nah nyah naaaah nah" goes...

I don't know the latest state of affairs, but in short: (I'm in a hurry): I think it is extremely embarrassing, and she is causing a lot of damage, but all the same I would regret it very much if she resigned. I heard a radio comment today which said something like: ever so often when some VIP made a mistake, he or she says: I take responsibility for my mistake and resign, but wouldn't it be more responsible to NOT resign? Resigning can also be a form of escaping and evading responsibility. I found that a good thought.

editOh sh..., I just had a look at Spiegel online and saw that she has indeed resigned. What a pity!

It is a pity indeed, but I respect her decision. I would have respected it either way.Still, I do not understand the whole thing. How can that happen? I mean it´s not that she had just 0.5 or 0.6. A number of 1.54 means that she must have drunk a lot. Even as an ordinary teacher I would always be more than careful about drinking and driving, and I always have in the back of my mind that I am in a position where I might set an example for my students, at least to some degree. How much more true is that for a woman in her position? And how much more should she have had that in mind when she got behind that steering wheel?

With 1.54%o I would be totally drunk. At least would I know that I am not able to drive a car. Anybody who has 1.5%o and tells me that he is of the opinion to be able to drive I would call an alcohol addict.

It is no trivial offence. For good reason it is no adminstrative offence but a criminal act to drive with 1.1%o or more.

You are right, of course, it remains absolutely incomprehensible how she could do such a thing. I don't want to trivialize her offence. But I just find it horrible all the same that we lost her as a bishop and EKD-chairwoman.

I too cannot understand why one would drive a car when drunk. Much less so with a person in a leading position, and even less so as an important church representative. Not because one could get caught by the police, but because it's too dangerous, especially for others (remember what had happened to Jools's friend's friend).And here it's as if the president of an ornithological society went goose hunting.

Korrektürchen für Teilchen: At least I would know that I am not able to drive a car. In my opinion anybody who has a blood alcohol content of.15% and claims to able to drive is an alcoholic. So etwa. Der Satz ist ziemlich schwer, finde ich.

Yes, of course one feels inclined to do extraordinary things when drunk. Like trying to drag an A/C compressor into a goosepond. Or sabotaging muskrat traps. Or whatever. But not beyond basic reasoning. Like you won't use an empty wine bottle to let get off a muskrat trap. Because it might break, leaving lots of pieces of glass in the water, which might harm the feet of ducks, or of the stupid geese, or injure the dim-witted bullfrogs. But instead use a rolled-up newspaper. So there is no doubt that one would never try to drive a motorized vehicle. At most a bicicle. Which isn't much of a problem. But even so, returning from the regular Wednesday supper across town, with about only half a bottle of wine in the system, I fell off my bicycle at the preposterous micro-roundabout at the beginning of a short trail for pedestrians and cyclists, very close to my premises, due to the goddamn ice. Fuck the FIP! Fortunately very slowly and half-anticipated. No problem at all. But it shows that one cannot paralize one's refexes if one wants to go faster than 15 mph. That should be clear during all stages of drunkeness. Of course also for the person at their current physiological state, independent of that physiological state. Especially if the vehicle is much heavier than a bicyle.

I understand why a decent person wants to step down under such circumstances, with all the other idiots, partly engaged in much more outrageous businesses, stick to their positions. I skimmed the Alice Schwarzer comment on Spiegel Online this afternoon, and thought that she is mostly right.

The Tea Party Conspiracy obviously tried to infiltrate my system while I was away. Probably shouldn't have responded that I don't want their e-mail crap. Mouse not working well, especially the mouse wheel quit normal funtion.

Oh well. Time to creep to the bettgestell. Only five more times. And then purchase a new mouse down there.

@Kaessmann: I haven't followed that discussion in the news, to be quite honest, because I found it rather trivial. Yes drunk driving is a major offence and she has to draw consequences because she is in a public office and a role-model. But she did, fair enough. Case closed.I still wonder why it was such big news, compared to the over 200 cases of sexual harrassement of children by Catholic priests. Has any of them ever resigned from his office?

@hm--usWhy on earth do you think she has to go into Reha? She isn't an alcoholic, my goodness! She was caught with alcohol in her blood, yes, but that doesn't mean she's addicted!She'll be a normal vicar in a normal parish from now on, that's what she said she'd do.

I still think it would have been a very good thing if she hadn't resigned. I think it would have been an absolutely important message into our society if the church would have expressed: with us, making a mistake (even if it is a grave one) doesn't mean somebody isn't acceptable any more in a leading position. After all, we are all sinners.("Wir sind Sünder allzumal", Luther) She hasn't lost all her brillance and competence in this one night, has she? I can see that it would have been very hard for her to tough this out, and I admire the clarity with which she said that she followed her heart in her decision, but I find it very sad all the same, as I said.

And I still think that it is not necessary to be faultless before you are qualified to make ethical statements about different societal and political issues.I don't think that she systematically "preached water in public and drank wine in secret", neither literally nor figuratively.

According to the 'Genesis' the hybris to want to know what's good and evil is the first and biggest sin. And in my understanding that is what moralists claim to know * and thus are repeating this sin over and over again.

* perhaps I should say that's not merely my understanding but my definition of moralist.

Good evening.About the FIP there is some information in the last thread. I really don't understand why they don't investigate that appropriately. Seems to be really well camouflaged and probably too big for the Tea Partyists. Unbelievable that it gets only three hits on Google. Here in our offices are at least two other people who complain about this intolerable weather.

What Ms. Käßmann said sounds reasonable:''My heart tells me very clearly that I cannot remain in office with the necessary authority,'' she added. ''I would no longer have in the future the same freedom that I have had to name and judge ethical and political challenges.''http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/24/wo...

The creation story is itself already unevolutionary creationistic, with the poor snake losing its legs because of its involvement in the affair.

Only indirectly, hm -- us. God's punishment was that the snake and all its relatives from this time onward had to creep on their bellies. Maybe one could also make the point that the author already knew that the snake's ancestors indeed had legs.

Oh well ... I am getting slowly organized.Just coming back from the farewell dinner with our group. Two boxes are already sent off. Tomorrow I will bring a third one to the post office. The heavy one with books and journals was preposterously expensive. The very slow and reasonably priced shipping method doesn't exist any more. I don't need the stuff to be there within just 6-10 business days! Now I will sort a little bit through my stuff to separate garbage and things worth transporting, and start filling the aluminum trunk. Tomorrow I should finally make arrangements to donate the little furniture I have. The old couch which I can hardly move and the bettgestell are probably imminent garbage.

I agree with what you wrote about the creation story. I just happen to remember the snake part.

I think two checked-in items, 23 kg each, are allowed (used to be 32 kg each, that's what you really need; I remember weighing the trunks, making sure that they weren't heavier than 33.5 kg). But with almost all of the books sent by USPS (really tried not to accumulate too many), there shouldn't be too much excess weight. The colleague, who drove me to the post office, said that I should just buy a suitcase and take it along. But I fear the excess baggage fee would be even more expensive. And I don't want to deal with more than two very heavy things at the airport. Hopefully my specimens will arrive safely down there. And apparently I did not pay a deposit. No records and cannot remember. Already talked to the administration lady.

Correcturito: not "angestaltet hat" but "verantstaltet hat".(Yes, my boss invited the whole workgroup into the local country club.)

I'm definitely not a moralist in the sense you defined it. Best example is how I feel about Käßmann. I respect and understand her decision - I can see it as good, right decision for her to make. And as I said I would have seen it as a good thing if she had not resigned, too. It's not that there's one good and one bad way in this dilemma, and I'm the one who knows which is which.

#130: I think it would have been an absolutely important message to our society ("into" wird fast immer nur verwendet, wenn etwas von außen in irgendwas Geschlossenes hineinkommt - the cat crept into into the bag, he went into the house... oder bei Verwandlungen: the caterpillar turned into a beautiful butterfly just before being eaten by a big ugly bird.)

#139: According to 'Genesis', hubris, or wanting to know what's good and evil, is the first and biggest sin. (keine Artikel vor Genesis und hubris, und ein Paar Beistriche und Gerundien gestreut... )

SDYes, you remember right. We was to traveled over the christmas time to cuba. The holiday was great and we could recreate us.Indeed it was the coldest winter since fifty years and some things had could be better (hätten besser sein können). But I think: other countries - other customsWe was diving, we saw a little bit of the country, had been meeting friendly and interesting people and the time was to a lot fast over.It was a very excellent holiday.

The topic Ms. KäßmannI think, she is only a humans as you and as I. But she is a public person and for this people count other standards. And I think, its very important, that so people must be exemplary for younger people. WHO, if not the public persons of a curch?The other side, self-evident is a work very important against the poorness and hunger. It's a fine line. For a good and correct work you need assurance. That you must earn and so a big mistake should not happened.

> We [was to] traveled to Cuba over [the] Christmas [time]. ... [we could recreate us] we were able to rest and relax. ... the coldest winter [since] for fifty years and some things [had could be] could have been better ... We [was] went diving ... [had been meeting] met friendly and interesting people and the time [was to a lot fast over] was over too fast / went by too fast? ...I think[,] she is only [a] human[s] [as] like you and [as] I. But she is a public person and for this people [count] measure by? other standards. ... [so] people like that must be exemplary for younger people. (auch: must set a good example for, must be a good role model for) ...[The other side] On the other hand, [self-evident] is a [work] very important job? task? to speak out? against [the] [poorness] poverty and hunger. ... [For a good and correct work] (In order) to do the job well? you need assurance. ... [so] such a big mistake should not happen[ed].

I am here, hm--us! Didn't know I was missed, how flattering. I was not exactly in bed, but I had to catch up with all the other work that has been neglected during those last days, like doing the laundry, vacuuming the flat and so on. What's more, I did not feel I could contribute to the religious topics discussed here the last two days, being an atheist and all. So I "shut my trap" and went to the counting chamber instead, before I said anything I might regret later ... Sorry.

But you are right, it was impolite of me to promise to write and then not to do it. I apologize. And thank you for your congratulations and good wishes!

If I may, let me preface my statement by admitting that my thoughts about alcohol in general and drunk driving (DUI) are subjective. (I'd rather not elaborate) If the following statements are correct, she has made the right decision by resigning.It's, "practice what you preach".

Can anyone verify these statements? I usually read 'Spiegel' online, but I must have missed this article. >>Newspapers, meanwhile,on Wednesday published earlier statements by the bishop, dubbed "the popstar of Protestantism" by Spiegel magazine, in which she "condemned alcohol abuse and drink-driving.""Sometimes there is a lack of awareness (among drivers), particularly when drink and drugs are involved," Spiegel *quoted her as saying three years ago.*"Sometimes on the motorway I see people driving as though they have no idea of how powerful a car is, even at 50 kilometres (30 miles) per hour, in other words how a car can really destroy lives."

The incident also happened during Lent, the period of several weeks when Christians traditionally fast, or nowadays give something up like chocolate or meat."I'm giving up alcohol, Kaessmann said during last year's Lent.""I have suddenly noticed how a glass of wine in the evening can become a habit."<< <br/>*end of statement*

The last statement, if true, might be an indication that she may have a problem with alcohol.But, as I've said, I can't be objective.

I don't think I have the right to preach to others or condemn anyone, i.e., adults, whose lifestyle or morals are different than mine. But it's my duty to speak up when I observe child abuse regardless of the person's social status. It's easier to look the other way, it takes courage to report child abuse. If that makes me a moralist, so be it.

Actually (alright, now I can't "shut it" any longer), I agree with you that she took the right decision. I even admit I had never heard of Käßmann before this whole affair, but it impressed me that she took responsibility for what she did, and decided for herself that she did no longer feel she could be a role model to follow. That is what it was for me, taking responsibility for her actions. Which I find very important. Thus, in my (as I said, atheist) opinion she did the right thing - regardless of whether the quotations you found are true or not.

Bommelchen, then you can recommend Cuba as a holiday destination? Good to hear you enjoyed your holiday!

Yes, it is around the end of the semester here (it differs a bit, depending on the Bundesland). Or rather, the end of the "lecturing period", the "lecture-free period" still belongs to the semester, and is mostly used to write the seminar papers in, so small wonder questions are rushing in right now.

Correcturito: "wegschrecken" does, I believe, not exist. I'd say "abschrecken" or "verscheuchen". LEO offers "vergraulen" for "scare away", which is also a good option.

You did not "scare me away", I just did not think that I had the right to "lift myself onto a moral horse" where I don't belong. And for religious people, so many more aspects play into this of which I might be simply not aware. I just did not want to offend anyone unknowingly. I hope I did not (and I hope you tell me if I did, so that I might know and learn from my mistakes!).

Funny how well the quotation of "Wasser predigen und Wein trinken" fits in this particular instance.

It's a big issue and I don't like to discuss it here in a chat. I would prefer to talk about in a relaxed situation with a lot of time where one could listen and get touched by the other arguments.

But ...to explain a little bit what I mean: In our culture justice, guilt, fault, innocence, good and evil are important terms and very central points of interest. There is a big difference between 'good and bad' in respect of things like computers and cars and 'good and evil' related to man's behaviour. If a child has fallen, it's knee akes and it's crying in pain the mother can console it and take it in her arms with empathy. But typically she would rant: 'I told you to be careful, not to run so fast! It's your own fault. (= I am not guilty.)'Also in car accidents one of the first questins coming up is: Wer ist schuld - who is guilty, whose fault is it?

That is what I mean with moralist: Predominantly to go with the question of wrong or right and not with empathy, sympathy and love (even that should be the 'good' line according to the official statements).

For the old Greek philosophers an important principle was 'Honour the phenomenon'. The predominant behaviour in our daily culture is in contrary to ask the moral question: Is it good or bad and who is guilty?And very often with the answer of Palmström : Es kann nicht sein, was nicht sein darf.

@ manni3Re: It's a big issue and I don't like to discuss it here in a chat. I would prefer to talk about in a relaxed situation..<<br/>Well, unfortunately I live too far away, otherwise I would invite you for coffee, tea, or the 'beverage' of your choice. :-) But I wouldn't let you get behind the wheel. We have a "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk" campaign here. You would have two choices, have a designated driver or sleep on the sofa.:-)

I would even dress up and wear high heel shoes. ;-) You would probably be disappointed if you met me IRL. I'm an introvert, I usually just listen and try to avoid confrontations. From what I've read so far, here in the CC and the other threads, I might be more communicative if we should ever meet. :-)

Re: good and bad: it would be "bad", (that's an understatement) if a certain woman would be our next president.

@ bluesky, thank you, I've learned not to believe everything one reads in the newspaper. Most of the time statements are taken out of context or are exaggerated.

@ Amy-MiMi, we can all agree to disagree, if it's done in a civil manner. (I hope I'm friendly enough) :-)

@ Wachtelkoenig, just a few more days. Did you find something suitable for the 11-year-old girl?

@ SD3 and everyone over here, are you just as annoyed by the constant Tiger Wood's "news"? In my opinion it's a private matter between him and his wife.

me1,Yes. Or rather a friendly forum regular sent some very useful recommendations. Sent the things off this morning, after rapidly copying the CDs. One thing came with a book, that did look quite appealing. But so far I didn't have a chance to check anything out myself.

SD3,On Monday. Fortunately no snow announced on the NOAA website. Hopefully the East Coast problems won't affect the Chicago-Miami connection. This morning there was new w.c. and I slipped on the way to the office.

"The tadpole trike, which is rapidly becoming the most popular design, is often used by middle-aged or retiree-age former bicyclists who are tired of the associated pains from normal upright bikes. With its extremely low center of gravity, aerodynamic layout and light weight (for trikes), tadpoles are considered the highest performance trikes."

Hello Goldammer, since Tuesday it's an end of steep uphill rides :-( My doc told me that a pulse of 100 is enough for me!

@ mothertonguelers: Also possible He told me a pulse of 100 is enough for me ?? He told me a pulse of 100 being enough for me ?? He told me a pulse of 100 to be enough for me ??or a quite different formulation ??

Well, I think those "Liegefahrräder" are quite uncomfortable.The cycelist always has to crank his neck to look foreward.I am sitting on my tricycle just as on a normale bike. The advantage is, I can stop and keep sitting and it has an XXL shopping basket.No problems with steep rides here. The landscape here is flat as a pancake.

As for these tadpole trikes I wonder as well, how one would feel uphill. And it's not possible to lean a little forward to put your weight on the pedals. So for climbing they are probably not so good. And I would worry to run downhill with high speed. Apparently one rides so low, that it's impossible to look over cars. But for slow cruising in flat areas they must be quite comfortable.

Wachtelkönig, you bring your weight on the pedals by pressing with your whole body between shoulders and feet. This gives very much pressure on the pedals without jumping or hopping upright down lik on the normal bike.And the deep position gives an excellent Straßenlage!

#185: you put your weight on the pedals This applies considerable/a lot of pressure to the pedals without you jumping or hopping up(right) and down like on a normal bikethe deep position Ich hätte low gesagt, aber das ist vielleicht Geschmackssache.

@ Goldammer: affected by the snowmelt only inasmuch as it's taking too long for my liking. I'm afraid I'm still way over my head into my yearly winter depression. Of course, various other aches and pains aren't much help either. ;o)

"tolerieren" sounds odd here. It sounds as if they can't accept such a bike any more. I picture an old lady in the bike shop saying sth like: "This is wrong. This is not a bike. I my days, a bike like this would have been forbidden!"

I thought about an alternative for "tolerieren", but the whole sentence remains odd, also with "vertragen" or similar words, mainly because you can only "vertragen" (tolerate) food or medicine.So I'd rather say: "... die ein normales Rad nicht mehr so gut fahren koennen."

@ Liegerad, Liegedreirad and Lycra pants with thick pads - coming home from a 30-km-ride on an untrained Fiedle I would say a big advantage of Liegeräder * and a Liegedreiräder is that they don't have a saddle but a comfortable seat!!

A²µ³ - 'Fiedle' is a regional word in Allgäu, in a decent and everyday use. It can be used also very tenderly (although the etymology doesn't sound so nice).'Bürzel' is High German and technical terminology for animals.

I have never heard "Fiedle" either and because I didn't pay enough attention and only read the postings about the "Liegefahrraeder" I thought it's another regional version of "Fietse", which is Dutch for "bicylce" and sometimes used in my hometown region, and even more commonly used further north-west in the Dutch-German border region.

But I do know "Buerzel", so bike and bird did not make much sense to me. ;)

@suzi: Meine Tochter lauert im Hintergrund: "Was soll ich tun...mir ist sooooo langweilig". Haha... when I was bored my parents always threatened me with doing chores, like emptying the dishwasher, sorting the laundry, bringing out the old newspapers to the recycle containers down the road etc.... No wonder, I mostly kept myself busy. Or at least didn't admit to my parents when I was bored and didn't have anything to do. ;)

I can't believe it. Today is the second day in a row (!!!), with clear blue sky, sunshine and rising temperatures. Is it true? Has spring finally arrived???

@Spare tire: Are spare tires smaller than normal tires?? Luckily I never had to use my spare tire, but I always thought it's the same size as all other 4...

As for leaving air out of tires accidentally. I had to do this a couple of times with my car. Usually it happens only if you bend the valve slightly to one side. If it's straight, it shouldn't let any air out. Same with bike valves as well. Most valves I came across also had a little pin or ring, which needed to be pressed or pulled down first. Only then one was able pump air in or leave it out...

@kat: At least your friend didn't move into a new flat even higher up, as friends with lots of heavy, bulky furniture usually do. ;)

@SD3: Same old little island it is. :D I changed my working hours because of the weather. I start earlier now, so I can go home earlier and enjoy the sun in the late afternoon.... *making a not to self to dig out the new hammock when home today*

Yesterday I was in a school, because I'd like speaking English. But I'm so disappointed of myself. I don't know, whether it is right for me. I don't trust me to talking.

SDMy first language is german. Perhaps I bothered for a good grammar and probably made so more mistakes. Or why you ask me for my first language?Cuba. Yes, it was a faszinating diving. For Diver is that a little paradise. We saw black corals (gives only twice on the world, the second place is the Black Barrier Reef in Australien) and we saw a lot of fishes. Morainals we saw and Sharks. Even the guide fed the sharks with his mouth. Horrible :-)Sadly the big ray we don't saw. But so we have a reason this country to visit over again.There you can different diving. For example dive with a streaming or very favoured is wreck diving.For us was it fantastic.

wi-chanPersonally I do me difficult with recommends. Because, what for me fantastic can be for a other person the hell. SorryCuba is old and degenerat. The political situation squeezing the natives in a system, what I conficting. It's a very pooring land and the people haven't it easy. But we only met friendly, polite and helpful people. That was not depend of the tip or purse. The people can't do with money, because you can not bye nothing there. Example :-)) you can get cigars everywhere, but nowhere you can bye fire. And if you find fire everywhere, then it's too expensive. The navives can't afford this.But the hotel was very fine. The rooms were big and maybe we had twenty meters to the beach. Everyday was cleaning the room and changed the towel. The food was good and the drinks still better. Not so syrup as in Spain. They prepaired all fresh.And a big pluspoint are the safeness. You can rent a car and drive through the country wihtout problems, also if you get petroil. You can going out wherever, you are certain.It's a important aspect for me and my family, cause we are like go and see the land in own mission :-))

@Bommelchen: Welcome back! :)Good to hear that you had a nice holiday in Cuba and such exciting scuba-diving adventures. Did you also go wreck-diving? :)

Don't be afraid to speak English. We all started somewhen and made a lot mistakes - and still do - but how are supposed to learn, if you don't try and don't make mistakes?You still would like to talk to someone learning German, although his/her German isn't perfect, wouldn't you? :)

One little advice though: you speak/write English with a very German sentence structure. The German structure is quite free, but English is a bit more strict. So, for the start, try a bit more to stick to the "SVO" StrassenVerkehrsOrdnung, i.e. "Subjekt -> Verb -> Objekt" structure.

Two examples:Sadly the big ray we don't saw. - Sadly, we (Subjekt) did not see (Verb) the big ray (Objekt)

But so we have a reason this country to visit over again. - But so we (Subjekt) have a reason to visit (Verb) this country (Objekt) again.

@suziq: I learned the exact opposite. If possible, do use personal experience as examples to make your presentation livelier and easier to follow. (Naturally the amount depending on the subject, the surroundings, ...)

Hello! I successfully migrated southward. Very nice place. Very nice people. Very nice weather. But pretty tired. The downy woodpecker resembles a little the lesser spotted woodpecker, a species that occurs in Germany in some places and isn't very conspicuous.

@ Air pump I don't find the picture and hope to have the right one in my mind:The flap (lever) is open, loose, in the same direction as the pumphead.You stick the head onto the valve, powerful, decidedly and immediately snap the lever down, powerful and decidedly, too. Draufstecken und schließen in einem Zug!!! The shorter the Pfff the better ;-)Now you start the pump.

or

you ask a neighbour(esse) or the (wo)man of the AAA to show it to you.

I don't trust me to talking. -> I don't dare to speak.Sich trauen, etwas zu tun = to dare to do something

Das nächste Mal, wenn du in die Schule gehst, kannst du sagen: Last time I was disappointed with myself. I wanted to speak English, but I was too nervous. I am not so nervous today because I have practised with some friends. ;-)

@Amy-MiMi - Well, it seems that my deep dark secret of not inheriting the spelling and grammar gene from my mother. I re-read the post and at least I can say I was consistent in my error. I also noticed some other omissions/errors. I meant to say that you need to wear a helmet NOT just for speed from forward motion, but because of the distance to the ground that is most deadly and why one should wear a helmet.

Thanks for making sure that my issues do not adversely effect the other snails and their English. *hadtolookupaffectandeffecthopefullyichoseright*

Sorry, I did not respond sooner but I wrote and flew about a week and a half ago. Spent last week out of town for work. Came back with a renewed appreciation of home and realized that even though we are cold most everyone else is colder. Plus side is that yesterday seemed a bit like spring but on the cooler side. There was a bird singing, the sky was a brilliant blue, and one lone tree had already adorned it self with beautiful new leaves which are still a great spring green. Meanwhile the trees neighbors are either completely bare or still have dried leaves clinging to their partially bare limbs. With a blink of an eye, the weather changed and came a knocking at the door in the wee hours of the morning with pelting rain and gusting winds. Stiff winds tonight ushered in yet another cold front (stop snickering).

The little tube below is very important. You screw it to the pump and on the other end, you screw it to the bike valve. By screwing it to the valve it pressed down a small pin or ring at the valve and let's you easily pump in air. Also, because it's screwed tight, the pump won't get off easily. One downside: Do not hold the tube! Because it get REALLY hot, when you push air through it.

My bike in Germany has different valves. For that one I use the pump without the tube and just press the pump to the valve, after I loosened a little ring around the valve, which openes the valve.

@SD3: SVO - Strassenverkehrsordnung. That's how I learned it in 5th grade, as a total beginner. To remember that, our English book had nice little pictures of a street crossing with a lorry, a car and a motorbike. One picture showed what happened if you do not obey the "SVO" - the lorry, the car and the motorbike crashed in a big accident. ;)

@bike pump: I remember an American who wanted to pump up his bike at the gas station like at home and could not believe that the pump for car valves did not suit the valve of his new bike. We have Sclaverand (for narrow rim), Dunlop (normal) and Schrader valves. The latter has the biggest diameter and is used with cars and mountain bikes.

@manni3: I always have to laugh when other customers at the gas station try to get me to stop filling air into my bike-tyres there. They cannot believe that my tyres actually hold a higher pressure than their car-tyres.

@Jools: What type of valve for bikes has a ring you need to loosen to open it? DO you have a link?

You need to loosen the "ring" in the middle, i.e. screw it open a bit, to be able to pump air into the tire.

And the narrow Sclaverand are the ones with the pin in it, which need to be pressed down by the pump - or rather the tube which is connected to the pump. If you press it down with your finger shortly, you can hear and feel the air come out ...

@Jools: Sorry, but I think you mixed your links up.The Dunlop ones need to be opened to empty them, but not to pump air into them. I never had a Sclaverand, but from what I find on the Internet you might need to unscrew something there.

@h h: Hmm... the big Dunlop ones are the one I have in Germany. I always open them a little bit, because otherwise it's really really hard to push air into the tire.

And the narrow ones I have here, and AFAIK there is nothing to unscrew, but only to press, because when I do press, air hisses out quite loudly. And I know for sure it's impossible to get any air in, unless the tube of the pump is screwed properly to the valve... I tried this endlessley, until my arm hurt and the tube was nearly burning, wondering why my tire was still flat...

Oh SD, pardon me. :-) It was hm_ _us, who asked me.Thanks for the correction. But I have a question.I'd like to speak English. That was right, what I meant. But I thought, I would to need the Conditional I Progressiv. There I do it still again?

JoolsI will try it with your SVO :-) The idea is great and a good memory hook. ThanksSadly I wasn't wreck diving. I became sick and so I must cancelled it. But I'm hope I can catch up it this year :-)We will see.

@Jools: If I understand the links correctly the Sclaverand works with the screw open but is safer with the screw locked. So you could pump air into it without ever doing anything to the screw.If I find time I'll have a look at a Dunlop valve later on, I might even still have one with the tube.

@Jools: But it's that status in which you pump air into it.If you look at the second link (just taking for granted that's correct): The air stays inside the tyre with and without the nut screwed on (due to the pressure inside and the cone), but you can only pump air in with the nut loose. - So, what I meant in my previous posting, was that if it's loose at all times you can pump air into your tyre without ever screwing or unscrewing the nut. I had a look at a Dunlop-valve - works fine without loosening the nut, even with my certainly not very big arms.

If you don't screw the nut with a sclaverand-valve you will lose air whenever something touches the valve. Therefore, it is better to screw the nut. neutrinito had such valves with his last bike ... and didn't like them.

All I can say is that I ALWAYS unscrew the valves, risking that I might lose a little bit more air, but making it MUCH MUCH MUCH ... MUCH easier to pump air into the tire.If I do not loose anything, no air will go into my tires, no matter what valve and whatever any theoretical descriptions and instructions might want to tell me.

As a matter of fact, all that happens is the tube of the pump constantly popping off the valve with a big loud PLOP (Sclaverand valves) or I am breaking the moving thinggy of the pump (Dunlop valves), exactly _because_ no air is getting into the tire... (Sure, no air will come out either - at least not through the valve. )

In German I'd call it a "trecking bike", not sure about the English name for it.It the perfect compromise between a racing bike and a mountain bike. But I'd use those valves on every other bike too. Normally all you have to change is the size of the hole in the rim, if anything.

(Did you know that we have the tradition that new members of the CC tell us their shoe size and credit card number to introduce themselves? That's the minimum information we need - further details are voluntary...)

Thanks Amy-MiMi for the correction. I over thought it last night. It turns out that I had it right the first time when I had affect and then looked and thought otherwise and changed it to effect. Automatic minus one on my thought sheet for the week.

On the bike valves and trying to inflate the tires at a gas station air station/supply, I have an Italian bike with non-standard valves. Or non-standard at least as far as being able to use the normal American bike pumps and air at the gas station. I carry a little adapter in my saddle bag that screws onto the valve and makes it possible to use the American style pumps. It makes it very easy. I can't remember if my the frame mount pump needs the adapter or if it is compatible with valves, but it definitely is not as easy to fill the tires properly. Mainly the frame pump is for emergencies on the road to help you limp to a gas station or get home.

This is a pretty incredible indications that everything is against you, maybe you should not have bothered getting out of bed in the morning. Here is a most unusual own goal during a German football match.

raten, Rätsel (a riddle) - I have no idea, no feeling about the right answer, no preference, no arguments - totally blank. If it's a question with multiple choice I could dice for an answer, it wouldn't matter.

vermuten(my inner 'mood' tells sth.) - I don't know, I am not sure but I have some arguments which tell me, give me a strong feeling that sth. could be true.

ahnen(with a magic-religious component of presentiment) - I have a very diffuse and weak feeling, hope, fear that something could be or could happen. The real events just evoke an unclear suspice.

A²My³ - würfeln ist so ein Fall: In Leo I found to dice also [cook.]So I misunderstood the 'also' which hat mich auf die falsche Fährte gelockt - threw me off the scent ;-)

I discovered 'suspice' in my brain and didn't look it up in Leo until now because I was so sure that a beautiful word like this exists in English. But it isn't there - what a pity ;-((You are telling me that it's nice for you, too, so I will go for a 'New entry for LEO'! Supported??

I am sooooooooooo tired today, I feel like a zombie. Had a really bad night's sleep and hardly made it out of bed this morning :(

Welcome A. Soichi.

@Wachtelkoenig: good to hear you're settling in well in your new place. :)

@h h: I think I know what sort of bike you mean. I had one of those, when I was in school. Now I have only fully self-assembled bikes and thick valves would most certainly destroy the overall design ;)

@Amy: If pictures of "bedeckt" is blocked, try "grauer Himmel" or "bewoelkt". That's about the same. ;)

Topic 653 - IRS Notices and Bills, Penalties and Interest ChargesApril 15th is the deadline for most people to file their individual income tax return and pay any tax owed. Tax returns are checked for mathematical accuracy. If there is any money owed, you will be sent a bill. Generally, interest is charged on any unpaid tax from the due date of the return until the date of payment. The interest rate is determined quarterly and is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percent. Interest is compounded daily. If you file on time but don't pay all amounts due on time, you'll generally have to pay a late payment penalty of one-half of one percent of the tax owed for each month, or part of a month, that the tax remains unpaid from the due date, until the tax is paid in full or the 25% maximum penalty is reached. The one-half of one percent rate increases to one percent if the tax remains unpaid 10 days after the IRS issues a notice of intent to levy. For individuals who file by the return due date, the one-half of one percent rate decreases to one-quarter of one percent for any month in which an installment agreement is in effect. If you owe tax and don't file on time, the total late-filing penalty is usually five percent of the tax owed for each month, or part of a month that your return is late, up to five months. If your return is over 60 days late, the minimum penalty for late filing is the smaller of $100 ($135 for returns required to be filed after December 31, 2008) or 100 percent of the tax owed. You must file your return and pay your tax by the due date to avoid interest and penalty charges. Often the funds necessary to pay your tax can be borrowed at a lower effective rate than the combined IRS interest and penalty rate.